The Role of Blogs in International Armed Conflicts (part 2)

Take the killings in the Jihad Quarters of July 2006[1]. The author of Baghdad Burning shares her pain of losing a close friend during the massacre. She recounts how a thing as routine as finding someone to repair the generator can turn into a man’s last act. It shows the vast difference between her routines and that of millions in other countries. Yet, it also speaks of the thousands of similar experiences shared by those in the middle of armed conflict.

Baghdad Burning has been running for the past three years, the first entry being posted on August 17, 2003. It begins by saying “A little bit about myself: I'm female, Iraqi and 24. I survived the war. That's all you need to know. It's all that matters these days anyway.”

It has gained quite a following, even launching a play inspired by it which ran at the Edinburgh Festival[2]. The expansion to other media such as the stage proves its appeal not just to the online community but also to the general public. The author, undoubtedly, presents compelling material and her blog has made it possible for people to access such material which makes up her life.

Blogs from people inside war zones continue to remind the readers of the situation in such countries. It is not limited to Iraq. Blogs from those caught in the middle of the conflict in Lebanon have also appeared overnight. Siege of Lebanon (http://siegeoflebanon.blogspot.com) is one such blog.

Run by a group called Friends of Lebanon, it chronicles the changes brought about by war in the cities of Lebanon. The blog contains entries of such poignancy the loss felt by the authors of things that once were in their country is palpable[3]. Just as Burning Baghdad did, this blog gives an account of events as they happen to individuals who are most affected in a war-torn country.

Siege of Lebanon goes even a step further with its latest entry[4], as it tries to explain the manipulated photos of the Lebanese crisis floating around cyberspace. It goes on to answer criticisms hurled at the Lebanese quarter regarding the manipulation of war photos to make them appear worse than they actually are. The point made by the author in this last post was if CNN, which reported the doctoring of photos by Lebanese bloggers, was willing to report Arab manipulation of the photos, it must also report how the Israelis may have done the same.

In this last entry posted on the Siege of Lebanon, we see how the blog can become a powerful tool to repudiate claims made by the media giants such as the CNN. We see a faster response from those affected by news items shown all over the world through cable television, printed in the dailies and broadcast over the radio. The blog presents an alternative to the traditional letters to the editor which, in most cases are filtered by the same editors who chose which stories to run in the first place.

Blogs have also been put up calling for the stop of all armed struggle. It has provided those who wish for peace a venue for signature campaigns[5] for the release of political prisoners to fund raisings for peace[6].

With the convenience with which blogs can be accessed, it has become a veritable source of information. However, as with all types of media, the reader must be wary of which blogs to trust. As with the problem of accuracy and verifiability faced by the traditional sources of news, the same problems persist in the blogging world. One must be constantly aware that the blog, with its ease of use and wide availability can also be used as a tool for propaganda to sow seeds of misinformation. As with any other type of medium, the blog-reader is enjoined to have a discerning eye in ferreting out the truth from the blogs coming from all over the world.

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[1] http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/2006_07_01_riverbendblog_archive.html

[2] The play of Baghdad Burning ran at the Edinburgh Festival from 5-28 August 2006.

[3] http://siegeoflebanon.blogspot.com/2006/08/what-i-knew-of-dahieh.html

[4] http://siegeoflebanon.blogspot.com/2006/09/siege-of-lebanon_09.html

[5] http://www.friendsoftibet.org/global/campaigns.html

[6] http://www.unitedforpeace.org/calendar.php?calid=17405